View full sizeAttorneys asked a judge on Wednesday, July 27, to throw out charges against state Sens. Harri Anne Smith and Quinton Ross. (The Birmingham News file)

MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Attorneys for the final 2 politicians charged with seeking bribes in connection with their vote on pro-gambling legislation asked a federal judge today to throw out the criminal charges.

U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson will hear arguments from the final 2 defendants, former government official Ray Crosby and casino spokesman Jay Walker, later this afternoon.

Prosecutor Barak Cohen pointed to testimony from Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley and a pair of lobbyists that state Sen. Quinton Ross hit them up hard for campaign donations in the run-up to a vote that would have put a constitutional amendment legalizing electronic bingo on the ballot.

Cohen pointed to testimony from lobbyist Jennifer Pouncy that Ross told her in December 2009 that he was not “feeling the love.”

Defense attorney Mark Englehart said the comment does not constitute a crime.

“There’s nothing illegal about being aggressive and demanding: about asking for political contributions, Englehart said.

What’s more, Englehart argued, Ross made the “feeling the love” comment long before the gambling legislation even had been written.

U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson pointedly asked Englehart about another comment the senator made a day before the Senate vote on March 30 of last year. Ross, according to testimony, asked McGregor for a campaign contribution right after asking him if he had the 21 votes in the Senate to pass the bill.

The other sitting senator on trial is Harri Anne Smith, an independent from Slocomb in the Wiregrass. Prosecutors focused on testimony that she asked Gilley for a $400,000 campaign contribution and that she tried to offer bribes form Gilley to other lawmakers.

Defense attorney William White pointed to a recorded phone call between Gilley and Smith that the government offered as evidence. White said there is no agreement.

“It’s clear she’s not asking Ronnie Gilley for anything,” he said.

White also argued that Smith had been a solid supporter of the Country Crossing project as far back as April 2008 because of the economic impact in her district. That was long before the gambling bill in 2010 session. At the time, Gilley testified, he did not even think he needed a statewide gambling bill.